178 Nights
by bookworm0509
Summary: SV; Accumulation to the day 178 nights after their reunion... (before the final scene of the finale). Originally posted on sd-1.
1. Chapter 1

**Author:** Bookworm0509  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** In celebration of hot daddy Vaughn, part of my Vaughnerific series

**AN:** I have a lot of fun with the development of this story, going between the events and the back stories. It is still in progress and would love to know what you think about my creative license with our favorite couple.

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**178 Nights **~ Chapter 1

Father's Day …

I've always felt conflicted about it. As one raised by nannies and boarding schools, I remember feeling resentful about why on earth I was the only one who wasn't excited about making cute cards or planning backyard barbeque parties. Then came teenage years when most of my friends were envious of my non-obligation to sit through long family meals entertaining both the father and the grandfather. After meeting Francie, I secretly wished for a dad like hers – so readily accepting and yet full of advice for life's unexpected turns.

I finally, albeit unconventionally, got to know my own father after all those long bitter years. Deceits and secrets aside, I realized he did love me. I was not his greatest mistake, but rather, his greatest joy. But fate would have me lose him just when I learned to appreciate him.

My dysfunctional relationship with my dad was certainly not helpful when I tried to plan this year's Father's Day. I am rather lost when it comes to celebrations associated with a parent. I grew increasingly nervous as the day approached. Knowing he has also tip-toed around Father's Day for over 25 years, I want this one to be special and memorable for Vaughn. As corny as it sounds, I am fearless when it comes to indulging him. Nightmares of watching him die in my arms still plague me, though I have had him safely beside me every night for the last 178 nights. So I secretly went about putting together a day that tells him how thankful I am for each day I get to love him and how lucky our little girl is to be loved by him. Of course, there is also the competitive side of me that needs to out-do what he did for me last month on my first Mother's Day with Isabelle.

As I mentally put final touches on the day, my sight drifted to the man I now am more in love with than ever before ... if that was even possible.

Somehow, I just knew that Vaughn would be an amazing father.

My childhood did little to encourage raising my own family. When I was with Noah, that thought would have scared me though we were very sexual. Danny was vocal about his desire to have children – and I usually kept quiet, thinking to myself "maybe someday". Vaughn and I didn't spend much time discussing the topic, not that we were dodging it. Foiling conspiracies, trying to stay alive from sadists, saving the world simply took precedence. I felt so complete whenever I was with Vaughn that having his children seemed like a rather nice idea. Though we weren't trying to have a baby, we were not at all concerned about contraceptives when we were between sheets.

I had no doubt about him welcoming a family I practically blurted out the news of me being pregnant just before we jumped off the cliff in Cape Town. The gravity of the situation did not hit me until afterwards that might not be what he wanted. But Vaughn did not disappoint. His honesty in the car moved me. It truly felt like we were on this new journey together – our love for each other created a new life. A little person who would always be 100% Vaughn and 100% Sydney – no evil in this world could ever change that. We might have had been way over our head but the anticipation brought us that much closer to the dream we had always held.

As much as it killed me inside to be without Vaughn for the next 13 months, I should have known that things for Sydney and Vaughn had never been easy. We had always fought hard to be together. I just thought it was unfair to bring Isabelle to this world without the welcome of a doting father. Having experienced the pain of growing up without one or both parents, Vaughn and I had secretly vowed to protect our children from the same fate. That's what kept me going. I endured the separation in hopes of bringing her dad safely back to her as soon as possible.

And it was all worth it.

Seeing the way Vaughn is with his little girl from the moment they laid eyes on each other.

_~tbc_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author: **Bookworm0509**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Summary: **In celebration of hot daddy Vaughn, part of my Vaughnerific series

**AN:** This chapter can be read as companion piece to another story I wrote - Soul Mates' Tales Chapter 1.

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**178 Nights ~ **Chapter 2

Seeing the way Vaughn is with his little girl from the moment they laid eyes on each other.

_While I sat content on our flight home from Italy with his arm around me and my head on his chest savouring the rhythmic heartbeats, he wanted me to tell him all there was to know about Isabelle. Seeing how his green eyes sparkled with a sea of emotions as I recounted bits and pieces of information, the realization hit me like a wall. As hard as it was for me to not have him by my side when Isabelle arrived, to raise her alone those long sleepless nights, it was far more difficult for him to not be there, to endlessly stay away in the name of protecting his family. So we agreed the first night we would finally spend together as a family would be just about us. Nothing else – no Prophet Five, no Sloane, no burden._

Soon as we walked through the door and the agents who "babysat" left their posts, I took him to the nursery and introduced him to the sleeping form that was our daughter. He stood entranced watching her sleep with arms up high in the crib and tears silently fell. He pulled me close and whispered "thank you". I held onto every second in that room as it was more surreal than the thousands ways I had imagined it to be.

"She's so beautiful ... How do you love someone you've never met before so much?" He quietly retorted as he tenderly kissed away the tears on my face.

"She's lucky to have you as her father." I reached up to wipe his face. He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it with pent-up longing of the last 13 months.

Just as I thought it couldn't get any better, Isabelle roused and slowly opened her eyes.

She got his eyes. And it was quite a sight when those two pairs of emerald eyes locked.

I scooped her up and laid her safely in his cradle. He greeted her with a long gentle kiss on her forehead and her pink rose petal lips split into the sweetest smile that would steal anyone's heart.

"Hi, Isabelle ... there wasn't a day went by that I didn't imagine how it feels holding you. Sorry it'd taken me this long. Daddy's home now and I'm not going anywhere ..." Vaughn trailed off as he was clearly overcome again. Oblivious to the monumental moment, Isabelle responded with happy gurgles and more full dimpled smiles.

"Thank God she got your nose and your dimples ..." I cracked up at his remark as I wiped again at the tears that escaped watching the interaction between father and daughter.

Our little girl had not been a fuzzy child, except for nap time. She was good with Grandpa Jack, Uncle Dixon and the agents assigned to watch over her whenever I had to be away.

But she seemed exceptionally comfortable with Vaughn. All the mission logs I played to her must have worked. She recognized her daddy's voice. Her eyes followed him whenever he spoke. He carried her around the house while settling in. We made a simple pasta dinner and the three of us sat down to have our first meal together. Vaughn knowingly poured Perrier into our wine glasses.

"No alcohol while breastfeeding ..." he winked, "I wouldn't have it if you can't share with me."

"Had lots of time to read up on Parenting 101, didn't you?" I scoffed, fully appreciating the joy of exchanging banters … one of the things I missed dearly whenever we were apart.

"Wanna know what else I had lots of time to think about?"

"Vaughn … our daughter is sitting right here." I played along.

"She'll learn early …" He grabbed my right hand with his left and leaned forward to kiss me. He placed another soft one on my forehead and mumbled "Syd, I don't ever want to be apart from you or Isabelle again."

"No, we won't." I replied determined, looking into those eyes that I had longed for every moment since that dreadful hospital room in Italy.

"Ooooou …" came a small coo voice and we returned our attention to our daughter. She managed to decorate her face with rice cereal from her small bowl and seemed to find that amusing.

"C'mon sweet pie, let's get you cleaned up and Mommy will fix you a new bowl." Vaughn lifted her from the high-chair and rinsed her tiny fingers under warm water before putting her down again to wipe her face.

When the new bowl of cereal was ready, Vaughn volunteered to feed her.

"My hands are pretty steady." He said with a half smile. Vaughn remembered everything we ever said to each other.

"So are mine … but you win this time." And I handed him the bowl.

I could sit there forever watching how excited Vaughn got every time Isabelle swallowed a spoonful. "That's my girl", "Good job", "Another one for Daddy?" filled the air over the next few minutes. I decided to abandon my plate of pasta, hung my arms around Vaughn's shoulders and rested my chin on top of his head to join in the party.

Vaughn was right … we deserved to be happy … if only just for tonight.

We turned in early after dinner to spend the rest of the night relaxing in bed. Isabelle stayed happily between us and fell into a peaceful slumber shortly after. Seeing how perfect this picture was made me worry about what it would mean to us if we weren't able to put an end to Sloane and Prophet Five.

Vaughn could still read my every expression like a book.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, it's just ... I'm still a little sore, I guess …" I paused. But I was never good at withholding my thoughts from him. "We came so close, Vaughn …"

"Sydney..."

"Sloane, Prophet Five – they're still out there …"

"Hey, I thought we agreed tonight it's just us, ok?" He cut me off to not let the weight of the world linger and turned his attention back to our little sleeping beauty.

"Oh, my God. All right, this snoring, it kills me ..." His admiration for our daughter was evident.

I wouldn't want to deny him … to deny us. Just as I was ready to comply, my phone rang. Sloane figured out my deception and thought he should gloat.

"Sloane realized I wasn't Anna."

"And he probably knew I wasn't dead. Neither is important anymore. After tonight, we'll go to APO and we'll find a way to finish this." He stood up from our bed and walked towards me. "Syd, we'd done it before with SD-6, the Alliance, the Covenant... So as long as we're together, we CAN do this."

"What made you so sure?" I wasn't convinced.

His expression softened. "I have two most amazing girls in my life whom I could never live without ... so if the only way to keep them both all to myself requires putting Prophet Five and Sloane away for good, that's what I'll do." That might not have made total sense but was my sentiment exactly.

"Hey, all that can wait till tomorrow though. Come here..."He drew me in tight as if I might disappear into thin air. "Tonight, I have other plans for us ..." as he inhaled deeply into my hair.

"Mmmmh, I'd like that ..." I finally relaxed into his embrace. He began to trace my body with feather like kisses that tinkled throughout and I was so ready for him ... hell, I had been ready for 406 nights.

When I thought I could burn with passion, he stopped dead in his track and put his finger on my open lips. "I'll go put Isabelle down ... stay right here."

He could be such a devil when it came to bedroom antics ... he was always very good at getting me hot and heavy.

He wasted no time after returning to our bedroom. We kissed hungrily while our hands frantically peeled the few pieces of clothing off each other. I was literally in heaven when our naked bodies touched and his lips and tongue visited every inch of my skin. The scars on his chest had faded but were not unnoticed. They were painful reminders of how close I came losing him for good but were also constant mementoes to not take any moments we had for granted. I caressed and kissed every one of them, lingering long enough to let him know his hurt would always be mine as well. The sex we had the rest of the night was simply phenomenal, even for us.

I woke the next morning and didn't find Vaughn beside me. I got up in a hurry fearing it was all an especially sweet dream. I wasn't prepared for the glorious sight of Vaughn singing French lullaby to a content Isabelle on his lap. His gentle stroke on her soft hair paired with the warm glow of the morning sun was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen.

"Dodo, l'enfant do,  
L'enfant dormira bien vite  
Dodo, l'enfant do  
L'enfant dormira bientôt.

Une poule blanche  
Est là dans la grange.  
Qui va faire un petit coco  
Pour l'enfant qui va fair' dodo.

Dodo, l'enfant do,  
L'enfant dormira bien vite  
Dodo, l'enfant do  
L'enfant dormira bientôt.

Tout le monde est sage  
Dans le voisinage  
Il est l'heure d'aller dormir  
Le sommeil va bientôt venir.

Dodo, l'enfant do,  
L'enfant dormira bien vite…"

I was still mesmerized when Vaughn turned around and smiled at me. "Hey, morning."

"Hi." I couldn't understand how I got so speechless. I put on the widest smile that sprang straight from my heart as I walked up and kissed the two most precious beings.

"I heard Isabelle earlier so I went to get her before she could wake you."

"Thank you … you'll soon find out sleep is not a gift your daughter easily gives." I chuckled.

"I would make your coffee but I think we need to deal with this diaper first … it feels … uh … heavy." Yup, that's Vaughn's adorable way of asking for help.

"Sure you're up for the task?" I teased.

"I'm at her majesty's service."

"You're gonna spoil her rotten."

"I'd like to spoil you rotten…" I was defenceless with Vaughn.

His first diaper change was quite an operation. He thought assembling a gun could be a far easier task.

Yet he dove right into daddy duties from that day on and embraced them like there was no tomorrow. Giving her a bath for the first time was more nerve-wrecking for him than disarming C-4 triggers. I repressed the urge to take over and he got a hang of it very quickly. In the short time span of five months, I am almost certain he's won his little girl over and is now her most favourite person in the whole world. A fact that, strangely, I am not a least bit jealous about but rather proud of.

Who could have thought the day would come when Marshall's op tech rant was about the best tool to use when faced with the challenge to safely change a baby's diaper in a moving car and Vaughn actually paid attention.

Which takes me back to my task at hand. Isabelle will be waking up any minute now and when my gorgeous man follows suit, Father's Day celebration will begin…

I quietly sneak out of our bedroom to get a head-start and set things in motion.

_~tbc_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author:** Bookworm0509  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Multi-parters, accumulation of events toward the main development of the day... with flashbacks and introspectives. Timing is set on the first Father's Day after S5 ep.15 - which I specifically chose as June 21, 2009

**AN:** I had a bit of a hard time finishing this part. Not sure if it was a tad much at the end but I was trying to paint a picture of all the emotion Father's Day brings to Vaughn. Let me know what you think.

Thank you again for reading ... you're all the best for sticking with SV

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**178 Nights **~ Chapter 3

Vaughn's POV

I felt Sydney stir in our bed and I tried to listen for signs of Isabelle waking up through the baby monitor. Amazing how a little person can change your life so much. Thanks to Marshall, our plain looking baby monitor is in fact military grade and can pick up changes in breathing pattern between a sleeping and a waking baby. Mental note to self, Marshall is a friend to keep around when Isabelle goes on her first date – I want the best tracking device known to man.

Looks to me our little girl is still sleeping – yet Sydney has quietly gotten out of our bedroom. She usually likes to nuzzle in bed for as long as our ears and hearts can endure the early morning call from the nursery. She blames it on prolonged sleep deprivation. I typically give in first – I'm just not wired to ignore anything in the form of a Sydney … not the big one, not the small one either. I would go pick up my little princess, have our silly morning talk and carry her around while getting coffee started. Our day officially begins when I prop her down in our bed and let her little fingers poke around her mommy's face long enough to earn her morning feeding. Sydney still enjoys the closeness it brings even though she only does it once a day now that Isabelle is almost 11 months. I like to stay and watch them for a little while whenever I can. Every time Syd glances up at me with her content smile, I simply feel happy and proud ... like I can take on anything the day brings.

I do realize today is Father's Day and I know Syd has made plans. Despite her attempts to be casual about it, I can always detect the slightest difference in her demeanour. Truth be told, I'm more concerned about what effect today will have on Sydney. Even though she told me she did not remember any Father's Day celebration from her childhood, her first Father's Day after losing Jack cannot be easy on her. Something I know better than most people…

Father's Day has long been bittersweet for me. I love – present tense – my father. At age 8, I had enough memory of him to carry around for the rest of my life. Even knowing what I know now, all the secrets my dad had hidden away from me, I am still so proud of the man he was, the man he's helped me to be. And yet, every Father's Day, every anniversary of his death, every birthday he should have had, I feel the almost sickening pit of what I miss with him.

I have a weakness with someone losing their father. When her father died, I couldn't break up with Alice even though I knew everything about us was so wrong. Right at the moment when I had the courage to admit to myself I would not survive a second time if I had to lose her again, I turned away Sydney after finding out Lauren's father had been killed.

I never expected anyone else to comprehend that pain. Alice was respectful about my father but she regarded him like a page from my past. Lauren – why do I even bother giving that b**** any thought – didn't even try. In retrospect, since it was all a lie, I should be surprised if she actually cared.

But Sydney always knows – right from the moment I told her about my father so many years ago. She understands my anguish, my longing, my loss. Partly, that's what so amazing about her. Our less than perfect childhood becomes another piece that builds our bond. She didn't try to talk me out of going after my father's ghost when the Covenant schemed to have me get them the nuclear core. She chose to be by my side as I endeavoured to uncover Prophet Five and my father's involvement. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want any part of those. But I love her so much more for indulging my boyish desire to know my father.

And she always remembers. On every one of those special occasions, she'd give me space while letting me know that she's there if I need her close. But if I've learned anything through the years, it is to not shut Sydney out of any part of my life. Whenever I had the good fortune of having Sydney with me during those moments, I spent telling her what I missed the most about my dad or more of those precious memories I had of him. She'd listen intently and squeeze my hand in reassurance. More than once afterwards, she told me how privileged she felt having me confide in her. She didn't realize the privilege was all mine – I never thought the kind of connection I shared with Sydney was ever possible. One of the things I cherish every day after coming back to her.

The sorrow of growing up without a parent haunts me most of my adult life. I had always liked children but fatherhood was far from my mind – I didn't think it was wise to bring a child to this world as long as I was involved in intelligence. I was content with the company of Donovan until Sydney entered my life. I was so in love with her that she personified all my dreams and hope for the future, including children that would bear dimples of their mother. That dream died with her in that house fire. I banished all thoughts of true happiness and traded them in with superficial normalcy of a wife and a teaching job. Lauren had found it strange someone who seemingly enjoyed teaching had no interest in children. Little did she know I had to look away every time I saw a little girl with hazel eyes and dimpled smile.

When I finally got back together with Sydney after three long and dark years, my rage slowly dissipated and my hope gingerly re-emerged. It sounded cliché but the trials and tribulation we endured made our bond even stronger. I promised myself and Sydney I would never again settle for anything less than what we had always dreamed about. Part of that dream required asking her to marry me. From when I first planned our trip to Santa Barbara, I had rehearsed the proposal in my head and in my heart a thousand times. I just wish it hadn't taken me four years to accomplish that. I've never been more sure about anything else than wanting to spend the rest of my life with Sydney Bristow in it. And of course, our kids too. The thought of raising a family did not scare me – what scared me was how I could keep them safe, away from the evil Syd and I knew so much about. When Sydney told me almost two years ago that she was pregnant, I was both apprehensive and elated. We were that much closer to living our dream, and yet the craziness around us was as prevalent as ever. But the notion of our love in the form of our child was pure joy – I couldn't wait to hold it in my arms.

Once again, I was kept away from what I wanted more than life itself.

Besides the two years I spent thinking I had lost Sydney forever, the 13 months I stayed in Nepal and Bhutan were the worst I had been through. Some things never change. Since the day I became Sydney's handler, the idea of her being out there on her own never sat well with me. Her proven track record as a spy and her ability to kick ass did little to quail my fear.

As each day passed, the thought of Sydney having to fend for herself with our baby growing inside became far more painful than the physical injuries I sustained. It drove me crazy knowing I couldn't be there for the birth of our baby and my only means to protect my family was to stay away. The single motivation that got me up every morning came from a brief note Sydney managed to have Jack's contact hide inside my medicine pouch –

_Fight for us … I'll do the same_

So I fought – with all the will power I could muster. I endured the loneliness of being cut off from the outside world and pushed through gruesome rehab – hoping I could be strong enough to get back to my two girls as soon as possible.

That day finally came but I could sense something was off the second we kissed. Our time apart had only sharpened my Sydney senses. I wasn't about to let an imposter pose further danger to the real one so I played along to find out her end game. I didn't expect that move would lead me back to the real Sydney but it wasn't a moment too soon. I immediately reclaimed the role as her backup and we still worked seamlessly together. As relieved as I was to be reintroduced to the world, all I cared about was the events that followed when we hopped a plane back to LA.

Coming home was even sweeter than I had imagined.

To be able to hold Sydney in my arms instead of in my dreams was my salvation. Meeting Isabelle for the first time, seeing how angelic she was with my own eyes, was simply beyond words.

Which brings me back to today.

Today is the first Father's Day since my eighth birthday that I feel complete. There are no more missing pieces in my life. I still miss my father but I believe I would always carry parts of him with me now that I am father to my own little girl.

Seeing the effects of our parents' jobs had in our lives, Sydney and I are unanimous about putting family first. After all the hurdles we had to jump through to be together, we are not at all interested in spending time apart. We only agreed to operations we could go on together despite constant request from the CIA to put us back on full time duties. We haven't quite figured out the level of involvement we want to have with the agency even though we know we can make substantial contribution.

Sydney and I picked up right where we left off when I came home over five months ago. But the scars are still fresh. The image of me being gunned down in front of her still gives Sydney nightmares from time to time when she wakes up sobbing. I would stroke her hair until she falls back asleep just so she knows I am close by. The fear I had of never seeing my girls again would shake me to the core whenever I think of how close I got to being killed. I also hate missing out on so much of Syd's and Isabelle's lives while I was away. It might sound silly but I wish I could be there to hold her hair and sooth her back when she had to deal with bouts of morning sickness. It broke my heart when I found out Syd cried for me during labour and had only Jack and Irina there to help her through.

If I could have my wish this Father's Day, it would simply be to spend every day of my life from here on loving the one woman who stopped my heart the day we met and giving our daughter the happy childhood she deserves… So you see, no matter what Sydney has planned for today, it will no doubt be special and memorable because I know they will be in it.

~ tbc


	4. Chapter 4

******Author:** Bookworm0509**  
****Rating:** PG-13**  
****Summary:** Multi-parters, accumulation of events toward the main development of the day... with flashbacks and introspectives. Timing is set on the first Father's Day after S5 ep.15 - which I specifically chose as June 21, 2009

**AN:** Part 4 as promised - hope you like the fluff.

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**178 Nights **~ Chapter 4

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**Sunday June 21, 2009**

**7:00 a.m. Sydney & Vaughn's place**

I love mornings in the summer and today looks like it's going to be a gorgeous early summer day. I woke up earlier than usual in anticipation of celebrating Vaughn's first Father's Day. I want this day to be perfect for him and I know only one way to do it.

The house is quiet as Isabelle seems exceptionally cooperative in allowing me a few extra minutes to prepare. Vaughn was still asleep when I left our bedroom though I know he will be up the second our daughter stirs in her crib. I took a deep breath and start setting the table. I've just finished a couple calls to make sure the rest of the day will go as planned. I grabbed the fresh flowers I got yesterday from their hiding place in the garage and put them into a vase. Interior decoration has been a bit sloppy now that Isabelle is increasingly mobile.

My next task will be getting breakfast ready for the big and small Vaughns. Actually, I made a decision a couple weeks after he came home to call him "Michael" instead. I think Isabelle will eventually find it strange to have her mother regard her father on a last name basis – oh yes, things people do for their children. "Vaughn" is now reserved for ... activities ... that exclude our daughter.

Our little princess has been in love with Cheerios for the last three months. It serves as both food and toy for her. Her breakfast typically starts with morning feeding in bed but I decided I would feed her at the breakfast table just for today. Michael usually has coffee ready by the time I finish nursing Isabelle. But I've gone ahead and started a pot this morning. I put out fresh pastry and cut up fruits along with yogurt for Michael and myself... I heard rustling noises between our bedroom and the nursery before I could finish my thought and knew Father's Day celebration is officially beginning.

"Hey, morning." I turn around to see Vaughn carrying Isabelle towards me.

"Happy Father's Day!" I respond with a genuine sweet smile and our usual morning kiss. "Isabelle, can you say HAP-PY?"

"DaDa..." Isabelle still has her arms around her father's neck but is obviously excited to see her Cheerios as she motions to get closer to her breakfast.

"I'm just gonna nurse her at the table this morning since we need to go out soon."

"So we're going out? It's way too early for the playground so I'm guessing ... mmmh ... it's kind of early for everything else too ... so where are we going?" Vaughn is obviously fishing.

"You'll find out ... Right now, your breakfast and sports section await."

"Syd, you know I can get used to this ..." He comes over to hand me Isabelle and presses a soft one on my hair.

Vaughn should know by now that I am more than happy to spoil him. I have always been compliant with those I love. Michael had often commented about how generous I was with my friends even back in the days when he was just my handler. But he doesn't take advantage of my weakness. He has been a dream partner not only in the field or in bed, but with cohabitation as well. When I was still at SD-6, I had already heard about his reputation of being a neat freak – and then I saw it with my own eyes after we started dating. I didn't have too many visits as we usually preferred my better-stocked fridge, but I was impressed whenever we stopped by to feed Donovan. After he moved in with me couple years ago, I learned the meaning of domestic bliss. This man cooks, washes and cleans – of course hockey comes first but he doesn't let things slide too much. I love my daughter but I must admit it has become a lot more fun since he came back and shared the load.

"What are you thinking about? You haven't touched your croissant." Michael says putting aside his sports pages.

"Just thinking about how lucky I'm." I answer honestly. "Isabelle is all done with her feeding. She will be okay with her Cheerios for a while. Why don't you go get ready and help Isabelle afterward. I will finish up here and we need to leave soon."

"How should I dress?" He's still trying ...

"The usual is fine ... stop snooping!" I laugh.

**8:30 a.m. Syd's SUV**

I let Vaughn drive but wouldn't disclose the final destination. I want to keep him in suspense a little longer.

"Just get on the freeway." I grab his hand and start kissing the back of it. He is obviously amused and doesn't mind our little game.

"So we're going to the airport ... guess you're taking me on vacation." He says confidently after about five minutes. He has always been a fantastic field operative – nothing much gets past him.

"If you're right, you think you'd like that?" I'm not sure how he feels about me taking the liberty to plan our vacation. Given we haven't successfully gone on a real vacation yet, I thought it would be a nice Father's Day surprise.

"Like, Syd? You know I'd love it!" He sounds as excited as a five year old on his way to Disneyland.

"We're gonna stop off somewhere first."

"Fine by me as long as I get to tag along." His tone is light but I can hear the deeper meaning in that statement. I reach over and knowingly play with his always tasselled bed hair.

When we reach the airport, I ask Michael to get the two overnight bags I hid in the trunk yesterday. The three of us then quickly board the CIA private jet that has been waiting. It pays to have friends in high places sometimes. Considering the high prices we had paid in our lives as a result of this business, I don't feel guilty about taking some perks once in a while.

**9:25 a.m. Mid air inside CIA jet**

"You're pulling out all stops ... CIA private jet for our vacation? Don't tell me we're actually going on a mission. You know I'd do anything with you but that would be a real anti-climax." I don't know how he could say it with a straight face.

"That's probably how Dixon would define fun ..." I scoff and continue, "Lucky for you though, I have an entirely different definition when it comes to ... fun."

"Oh, I know ..." He laughs along and takes Isabelle from my lap. "You seem pretty good with flying ... must be all that globe-trotting your mommy did while you were in her tummy."

"Not the most comfortable thing to do while pregnant ... I must say."

"Sorry ... Syd." He says quietly.

"Michael ... don't be. We agreed to put our past behind us. You can't apologize every time we talk about that. And I don't want that to be a touchy subject either. No holding back, remember?"

"Okay. Then know this. I love you both ..."

"You said it already this morning ..."

"Just want to say it again. So whatever you've planned for today, I'm gonna love it ... don't you worry your pretty head over it."

"You're making it too easy ... it'll be more fun if you let me sweat it out. I seem to recall someone said last night it's sexy as hell when I was all sweaty and sticky." I intend to make him blush for always knowing what's on my mind.

"You sure this plane is not tapped?" He asks with a devilish smile.

**10:20 a.m. 75 minutes after take-off**

"Looks like Santa Barbara is out ... So Paris?" Vaughn quibs quietly as Isabelle has now dosed off into a blissful nap on his shoulder. "We'll land just in time for dinner and I can think of a few places we should try…"

I just smile and maintain my silence. When Michael was reading to our daughter in an attempt to lull her to sleep, my thought went to what we talked about earlier. I know he still reels from the 13 months he stayed away in hiding. Instead of protecting us, he felt responsible for putting us in harm's way because of his investigation into Prophet Five. He had on more than one occasion mentioned how much he'd wanted to be there – through the pregnancy, the morning sickness, the doctor appointments, the birth, the night feedings … He needed to be there. I tried to fill him in as much as possible with accounts of events and experiences but he'd end up apologizing. Not that I didn't find the separation from the one person I couldn't live without painful – I wished every day that there were another way. I finally recognized that our past, our parents' past, made us who we were. And if we were to change any of that, we might not turn out to be the perfect match for one another. So we agreed the only way forward was to get our past behind us. One thing I learned from our parents was how important it would be to not let history haunt us. Our future was in our hands and we could decide what we'd make of it – a daunting task unless we could be completely honest with each other. We promised not to hold back from the other person our feelings and our fears. Something I hope today's plan will help strengthen.

"Can I have your other shoulder?" I tilt my head and breathe in his scent. God, I love his shoulders! Since I'm in a generous mood, I purposely leak some more information. "It won't be long till we land."

"It'll help if you'd tell me which direction we've been flying."

We arrive in Vancouver about an hour later and I can see light bulb going off in Vaughn's head.

"Syd, are we …"

"Yes, I'm going to show you where Isabelle was born." I say as we head downtown in the car that Dixon has sent for us.

**12:52 P.M. Queens Bank Building, Downtown Vancouver**

Since today is Sunday and the bank is closed, I didn't take Vaughn up to the floor where I delivered Isabelle. One could tell work has been done in this last year to repair the damage Peyton caused when she also went after the Horizon.

"Hey, Isabelle … do you remember all the excitement here the day you were born?" She is fascinated with her new surroundings and answers with happy gurgles. "Your daddy really wanted to be with you that day but he couldn't. We'll show him now, okay?"

We walked around the lobby a short while as I retold more details of the day.

As we sit down in the courtyard of the building for some lunch, I have another surprise for Vaughn. I retrieved a small box from my bag with pink polka dot and yellow flower prints on it.

"Sydney …" Vaughn seems unusually tongue-tied with appreciation of the significance it represents.

"I knew the day you bought me that mug that despite all the uncertainties in my upside down world, I could be certain about one thing. Your capacity to love – you loved all of me, exactly the way I was. And that never changed. Isabelle cannot ask for a better father because no matter where you are, I know you will love her with all your heart. Now open it. Happy Father's Day!" I've worked on the content of this box for a long time and have been anticipating his reaction.

He unties the ribbon and examines each item inside. Isabelle's first sonogram. The digital recorder that played our mission logs. A flash drive that holds photos I took as my belly gradually swelled, of different stages of our daughter's first four months and during his mother's first visit with her granddaughter.

"You haven't missed much. You've always been part of us." I say softly as he rubs away the few tears that escaped.

"Syd … I don't know what to say and I don't know what I've ever done to deserve the both of you …" He swallows hard to compose himself.

I take his hand and squeeze it firmly as I cut in, "You've always fought hard for us." I wouldn't let him say another word as I seal his lips with a deep long kiss.

When we finally break apart, I have the rest of the day on my mind.

"Let's finish up here. We still have a vacation to go on."

**~ tbc**

AN: The shout-out to "Pink Polka Dots and Yellow Flowers" (another fic of mine) was meant to give context for those who want more. When I wrote that ficlet, it started as my indulgence for something I wished we could have seen - I found it unsatifying when the show did not contrast the relationships Vaughn and Sydney had respectively and with each other. But as I wrote, it got away from me. I had always felt a need to understand what made their love so strong and began to explore from SV's perspective. I continue the SV relationship with the basis I built in their early days - hence context. Make sense?


	5. Chapter 5

**Author:** Bookworm0509  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Multi-parters, accumulation of events toward the main development of the day... with flashbacks and introspectives. Timing is set on the first Father's Day after S5 ep.15 - which I specifically chose as June 21, 2009

**AN:** This part is short by design. Would really like to know if you like where this is headed ... Enjoy!

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**178 Nights** ~ Chapter 5

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**Sunday June 21, 2009**

**2:56 P.M. On board CIA helicopter**

Our car picked us up after lunch and drove us to the helipad where Dixon has arranged a helicopter to take us to our vacation destination.

Aerial view of the scenery along British Columbia's Sunshine Coast is breath-taking. Our little girl seems to have a knack for adventure as she looks unfazed from all the noise and motions of the helicopter.

"Syd … I'm intrigued. This is amazing." Vaughn affirms me through the headset.

Only if he knows what lies ahead...

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**3:34 P.M. Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, Halfmoon Bay**

A helicopter and a short car ride later, we finally reach our vacation destination. The resort staff at check-in assures us that we will thoroughly enjoy our accommodation and I have no doubt.

I'm still hoping to go to Santa Barbara some day but I have good reasons for being a tad superstitious. Third time could be a charm but after everything we went through, I just didn't feel up to taking that chance. I researched this location when I decided to take Vaughn to Vancouver. I was more than delighted to find such a hide-away in vicinity.

The ocean.

The rainforest.

The landscape.

The seclusion.

And the relaxing atmosphere.

I could picture Vaughn and I having a great time here.

We were given direction to our tenthouse suite. As we walk along the 1500 feet treetop boardwalk to where our suite is located, Vaughn seems truly taken by his surroundings.

"Sydney ... this is absolutely unbelievable. I'm not sure how we will ever want to leave..."

"I'm glad you approve Mr. Vaughn ... just think about the possibilities..." I tease. Isabelle is enjoying herself too. She gets excited seeing the birds in the woods and the different shades of green in the trees.

Nestled among the Arbutus trees, overlooking Secret Cove, is the tenthouse suite I reserved. As we step inside, we find ourselves immediately transported to another world. Surrounded by panorama of the Pacific Ocean, our suite offers deluxe furnishing and enchanting serenity.

"Syd ... I'm speechless ... this place is beyond words. Thank you." Michael puts his arm around my waist with his gaze still fixed to the view in front of us. Seeing that Isabelle is playing contently with her soft toy on our fluffy king-size bed, Vaughn moves to put our overnight bags into the closet space behind the shoji screens. And my heart skips a beat.

I can literally see the sparks fly in his eyes when he caught sight of the garment bags already hung there...

~tbc  
**  
AN: **Thoughts on where this fic is headed?

I wrote this fic several summers ago around June for Father's Day timing. Re-reading it now to repost made me doubt if most of my north hemisphere readers are in a mood for sun, sand and ocean in the dead of winter.

The resort is a real location - go to rockwatersecretcoveresort .com if you want to see the scenery and surrounding. It will help set up the rest of the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** Sorry about the long hiatus while I worked on nearly completing my other fic Soul on Soul. I wanted to introduce this story and jumped ahead in timeline as parts of it will accompany the other Soul fics.

Ok, here comes the reveal ... more later ...

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**178 Nights** ~ Chapter 6

I can literally see the sparks fly in his eyes when he caught sight of the garment bags already hung there...

"Sydney ... are these what I think they are and are we ...?"

"Yes, Vaughn. I'm going to marry you today, if that's okay. Sorry I didn't run this by you but I want this to be a surprise, I want you to know …" I can feel the tears in my eyes threatening to spill over.

"You know there is nothing I want more …" He kisses me hungrily as we both shed happy tears.

"Alright, we gotta pull ourselves together if we actually want to get married in a couple hours." I am now laughing even though my face is still wet from our tears.

Vaughn wipes my face with his thumbs and presses another kiss on my forehead. "I think I can manage that."

As if on cue, we hear a knock on our door.

It opens to an exuberant Weiss. "Hey, Syd. Did I set everything up right? Don't kick my ass if they aren't perfect."

"You did great, thank you." I give him a tight embrace of gratitude. "You guys better go get ready." I turn around and grab the shorter garment bag from the closet and hand it to Vaughn.

"You really think it's safe to send me off with this guy?" He jokes in an attempt to stay.

"Hey, man, you're the semi-retired guy, not me." Weiss protests.

"Go with Weiss and I'll see you soon. I'd rather you help me take off the dress later …" I give Vaughn an encouraging smile.

"Guys, overshare. Is this what I have to put up with from now on? Mike, you'd better move your ass and follow me." Weiss is now half shoving Vaughn out the door.

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**4:21 P.M. Kitty Hawk Cove Tenthouse Suite**

After I close the door, our suite returns to a calm silence with only the cheerful sound of Isabelle roaming around our bed. "DaDa …" She points at the door.

"Isabelle, I'm going to get you ready and we will meet Daddy later." This little girl always wants her daddy.

I unzip the smallest garment bag left hanging in the closet and take out the tiny organza dress. Isabelle looks angelic in this full length princess dress with a metallic tan waistband to match her daddy's tan coloured suit.

While she bounces in excitement feeling the new sensation of a poofy dress, I found the jewellery box in my overnight bag. I put around Isabelle's neck a platinum necklace with an open heart charm and our wedding rings dangling in front. Isabelle Bristow Vaughn – the ultimate symbol of our love – will be our flower girl and ring bearer.

_The day you found out Vaughn had the hideous virus from the Mueller Device was the day you realized you could never live without him. The day you woke up in Hong Kong and saw Vaughn wearing a wedding ring that wasn't yours was the day you knew only you two belonged together – there was nothing right about him being married to someone else. He came back to you when he stopped blaming himself and started listening to his heart. But when what you always believed in your heart took some serious beating, you began to lose hope. You doubted the day would ever come when he would be yours and yours alone. He begged your forgiveness by bearing his pain to you. He told you he pleaded for death when he thought he had lost you forever. You understood because you were just as lost without him. You slowly emerged from your shell and the walls that were back up started to crumble again. You let him back into your life and entrusted him with your heart once more. He swore he could never betray you and you assured him he was never your second best. He spent a year trying to convince you by loving you even more fiercely. Battered and bruised, you fell deeper in love when he bound up your wounds one by one. You were relieved to not have to wake up from those God-forbidden nightmares alone. You did more than emptying your drawer – you emptied out all your resentment and opted for trust and complete honesty – you made him a key and he reclaimed the right side of your bed. You didn't think it was possible but you two came out stronger. He gave you space to regain your footing and left no question in your mind that he was still the one. When he finally asked you to marry him, you said yes without hesitation. You could not be more perfect together. He jump-started wedding plans after the Covenant was destroyed. Yet he was taken away once again and you were left all alone. The prospect of having his baby did little to dull your pain. You were more determined than ever to take down Prophet Five so he could come back to you. Your wish was granted 178 nights ago. You knew he wanted to marry you the second he got home but was afraid to pressure you after you lost both your parents. You loved him for always putting you first but you could no longer take any time with him for granted. It broke your heart when he told you he would have married you so many years ago had you not been presumed dead. You ached to imagine how life would have been like and you both vowed not to miss that opportunity again. Having been ripped apart twice, you were too aware of the pain, the anguish and the desire. You needed to be with him and you wanted to be his. So here you are today, having known for seven years that he is your soul mate and the only person you want to have a family with, you want him to know you're ready._

I'm stirred from my reverie when I hear another knock on the door. I know Vaughn's mom is here to get Isabelle. I've established quite a rapport with Amelie during the 13 months Vaughn was in hiding. I was both happy and nervous to meet his mother when we started dating. Despite all the drama in our lives, Vaughn and I squeezed in a few visits with his mom after we got back together. Her joy was evident when we announced our engagement. When my dad faked Vaughn's death and warned me against the perils of telling anyone the truth, I insisted on making Amelie the exception. There was no way I could do that to his mother – making her believe her one and only son had died a brutal death after being widowed all those years. My pregnancy and her grandchild's birth allowed me to openly stay in contact with Amelie. I secretly communicated our plans and assured her of Vaughn's safety but implored her tolerance for not being given any details. That was crucial in keeping both her and Vaughn safe. Amelie has an incredible read on situations. She was very gracious and understanding with what we had to put her through and I was so grateful. She kept in touch and helped out with Isabelle whenever I needed her to. I was pleased to see Isabelle having a relationship with her grandmother when she couldn't with her father.

I open the door and greet Amelie with our usual hug.

"Look at Isabelle, Sydney. Isn't she adorable?" Amelie walks in and focuses her attention on her dolled up granddaughter.

"Thank you for being here ... I know it will mean so much to Michael." Amelie has been so fantastic with me despite having known about my mother. I have grown more and more comfortable with her and our relationship fills part of the void left by my longing to have a mother.

"I have waited for this day and I am so happy for the both of you." She says with so much sincerity I can't help but embrace her once again.

"Your wedding ring will go very well with your engagement ring." Amelie commented when she saw them dangling around Isabelle's neck. "When Michael turned 21, I gave him the ring his father gave me. I told him to only give the ring to a woman if he could love her as much as his father had loved me. I didn't think Alice would get it and I wasn't surprised Lauren wasn't wearing it. He said he would never give Lauren what belonged to you. He finally asked me for permission to resize and reset the ring when he worked up enough courage to propose. I said to him Sydney would wear it well. I don't know if he'd told you but I thought it was important for you to know."

"Thank you, Amelie. I told him it was perfect and so was he." I'm beyond moved. When he emphasized to me during those painful conversations we had after getting back together, that Lauren never replaced me, that she merely replaced the bottle, he meant every word he said.

_Vaughn took us off active duties once the fallout from Sovogda was dealt with and tasked us to plan our wedding and a long overdue vacation. Saying yes to him felt like the most natural thing and we were both eager to have our wedding and start building a life we had always wanted together. His first order of business was to pick out our wedding rings._

_"Once we get our rings, you can plan the wedding any way you want. I just want to be married to you."_

_"I've always wanted an excuse to visit Tiffany, you know." I joked on our way to the store._

_"Knock yourself out, I spare no expense..." He was lovingly stroking my hair as he continued, "I saved on having to pay for your engagement ring."_

_My eyes widened with curiosity._

_"It belonged to my mother. I had it for years and I was going to give it to you in Santa Barbara. I put it back in my safety deposit box after I wandered around France with it. It had been sitting there the last four years. It might sound silly but from time to time, I would go there and just look at it for a while."_

_"Vaughn ... I love the ring and I love you ... all those hard times we had just made me want us more." I replied softly as I felt my eyes moistened with tears._

_He leaned over and kissed me. "I love you too, Syd."_

_We left Tiffany after ordering two matching platinum rings. Finding a wedding ring style to match my engagement ring wasn't difficult since Vaughn planned in advance to have the ring resized and reset at the same store. Still a boyscout at heart._

_I wondered out loud when we sat down for lunch, "Why didn't you give the ring to Lauren?" He thought I was dead and it would make sense._

_"She wasn't you." He answered simply yet firmly._

We picked up our wedding rings before leaving for Santa Barbara almost two years ago and I had them in safe keeping ever since. During the time Vaughn was in hiding and I had no idea when we could be with each other again, those rings became my touchstone. On some particularly hard days, I would need to take them out and look at them for a while. It's almost unreal that in about an hour's time, we would actually put them on each other's finger.

I gently caress the rings once more and send Isabelle on her way to Grandma's suite. "I will see you in a little bit, sweetheart. Be good to Nanna."

~tbc

**AN:** Every SV shipper's sacred cow ... you can see why I approached with caution. While I hope to eventually get to the ceremony, I think the back stories are very important in framing the significance of the event. The next couple posts will be Syd and Vaughn's respective thoughts as the actual wedding nears. I am also going to try some different approaches in writing - toggling between reflection, flashback and real time. I will have _reflections_ and _flashbacks_ in _Italic_. It will likely take me a while before actually getting them to say "I do". So buckle up and hope you enjoy the ride.


End file.
